Hang with Us...

Follow Us!

Who We Are

WTS is an international organization dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation. It boasts more than 5,000 members - both men and women with 49 chapters representing cities and states in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. WTS is helping women find opportunity and recognition in the transportation industry. Through its professional activities, networking opportunities, and unparalleled access to industry and government leaders, WTS is attracting, retaining, and advancing women in transportation.

2014-15 WTS-PSU OFFICERS

PRESIDENT: Tara Goddard

I'm a 4th year Phd student in Urban Studies with an emphasis in transportation. I've been a member of WTS for over a decade, and also served as WTS-PSU Interim Treasurer to help found this PSU WTS Chapter. I look forward to continuing help this group get established. I am also the current PhD Liaison to STEP.

VICE PRESIDENT: TBD

We are currently recruiting for this position.

SECRETARY: Gwen Shaw

I am a senior in Civil Engineering and hoping to focus on Transportation. I've been on the sidelines of WTS for a while and am looking forward to being more involved this year. I would love to help volunteer at PSU-WTS events and attend any networking events. I think that SWE and WTS could do some fun things together, and I am the Outreach Coordinator for SWE this year. I'd love to help coordinate some possible events between the two groups. I am willing to be a SWE Representative as well.

TREASURER: Alvaro Caviedes

I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. I received my bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. My time at Universidad de los Andes was combined with education and research experience in bicycle planning, BRT systems, air quality and noise.
After finishing at Universidad de los Andes I joined an organization called Despacio, working in urban developing projects,climate change and low carbon policies in developing countries in South America. I am currently pursuing the dual master's degree program in MSCE and MURP with transportation specialization at Portland State University.
I am interested in finding strategies to produce humane and sustainable urban spaces. I conceive the city as part of a metropolitan-regional system in close relationship with other urban centers and rural areas. Also, I considerate climate change as a main topic for transportation solutions in the cities, because mitigation and urban adaptation to climate change have to be achieved through actions in both the public and private sectors, and technological advances. Outside the school I enjoy reading, oil painting, meditating, exploring on his bicycle, hiking and knowing new people and cultures.
I am interested in the group because I think that in every field we have to look for equity in order to generate knowledge and improvements in the lives of other people.Without principles of justice, beneficence and respect for others, it is going to be difficult to advance as one global community, and I do think that the mission and goals of WTS are aligned with those ideas.
I am interested in the treasurer position because I have done that kind of work in the past and I could help managing the resources in order to distribute them in the best way possible, looking for the good of the group in the short and long term.

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR: Eugenio Arriaga

My name is Eugenio Arriaga. I am from Mexico. I am starting my fourth year as a Ph.D. student in urban Studies. My research interests are the effects of the built environment on gendered travel, and how it varies among women by race, class, and household structure. I am also interested in the relationship between access to transit and social inclusion.

CONFERENCE COORDINATOR: Bryan Blanc

Hello! My name is Bryan Blanc and I think most of you know me already. I am a second year M.S. student in the Transportation Engineering program. I have also been serving as STEP's conference coordinator for the past year, and plan to do so until next Spring. I would be happy to help WTS with similar duties, as I understand there will be some overlap between STEP and WTS.

UNDERGRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE: Marisa Trujillo DeMull

I am a senior post-bac civil engineering student. I have taken 5 transportation courses including the study abroad program in the Netherlands. I am an officer in Chi Epsilon- the civil engineering honors fraternity. I am well-acquainted with the Senior Class and feel I can accurately represent their interests.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS REPRESENTATIVE: Yi Wang

I am a first year PHD student from Transportation Engineering. I am from China. My research interest is how to create a safe environment for cyclists and pedestrians.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES REPRESENTATIVE: Christine Kendrick

I am a PhD student in Environmental Science at PSU with a research focus on roadside air quality. I conduct monitoring of transportation-related air quality to understand how well emissions and dispersion modeling perform and also to improve exposure assessment. WTS has been a great organization to be involved with over the past few years while in graduate school at PSU. WTS helps provide a lot of aid to a variety of research topics surrounding transportation. I would like to be involved with the WTS student chapter and I think I can help provide a bridge from transportation engineering and planning to other science groups on campus, especially for student and community events with overlapping interests.